


(3) In short, the ASEANs, particularly the Malays' maritime talents, be they the Sulus, the Moluccas, the Cham, the Pattani and Rhiaus, they had once played the key role to connect the West to East and or vise verca. As I had said, the hydrophilic blood of the Malays and or ASEAN had dried up, that made them reduced to being fooled states. Would there be an ASEAN Renaissance or Incarnation?
(4) What indeed unite the European into the European Union Economy (EU) and or even NATO? Except for Great Britain, Europe is one piece of land. Nonetheless the English Tunnel then connected the whole of Europe into One Piece of Land Mass. ASEAN is connected by the sea. Most see it as cause to separation. In the early day, the sea is called Champa Sea. But surely due to the hatred of the Viet, Cambodian, and Laos to this past Nation, the Champa at Annam (Mid South Vietnam), such name was abandoned. The Old Chinese than claimed the Sea as Nanfang Hai, the Southern Sea. It was the West for their convenience, called this Sea as South China Sea. Indeed such naming was either an accidental or planned strategy to turn the sea into a source of regional conflict for the West to be forever a master fisherman in the milky sea.
(5) Nonetheless, for ASEAN to be a solid team, a great United Nations, within the future immediate neighboring Great First and Second Global Nations of China and India, we need to reestablished our commonality. We can start with our favorite water sport, the regatta. In every state, we have our unique regatta. There are traditional and modern regatta that the States are now celebrating. While the modern regatta is much of Western oriented, which to my perception, would places the ASEAN into the consumer habit, the traditional regatta would be much better for the ASEAN growth paradigm. Traditional regatta is much celebrated in the Southern Philippines, Maluccas, Borneo, Rhiau, Andaman, Southern Thailand, and Mekong of Cambodia and Vietnam. Probably the most colorful regatta is the Praws Festival in Visaya, Philippines. Hybrid of Dragon Boat Festival and local tradition are well celebrated in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

(7) In Malaysia, we called it Lumba Perahu. In the Southern Philippines they called it Praws Fiesta. In Myanmar it is called Month Tawathalin. Indeed in each ASEAN states, it has its own name and uniqueness. In Malaysia, the most celebrated regatta is the Kuching Regatta. Originally it was a bangkong races among the natives now becoming a permanent feature of the Sarawak River attraction. Today Kuching Regatta had attracted international players especially from among the neighboring alike tradition nations ie Brunei, and Provinces of Kalimantan, Indonesia. From Kuching, the regatta in now a reviving people sport all through Sarawak. A place as isolated as Debak, a small deep sleepy snoring town on the Krian River do also began to organize Regatta.
and if sufficiently facitated they then able to manage themselves better. Indeed if ones follows closely the Gipsy, the Badouin, the Monggolians, etc they are fearless because they are used to the harsh desert lives. The same applies to the past Malays boys whom used to roam the seas. Allah is fair, He gives each nation or region their own strength to build on, if they dare to think and venture, but most are ignorance.
(9) Regatta is a team-based sport. Its not only the teamwork of the strong peddlers, it builds the sense of togetherness among the communities. Regatta is a community-based sport. Indeed, if there is an ASEAN traditional boat race, the impact would be very interesting. The sea roamers of the Philippines could meet those Tuna fishing guys from the Maluccas. A Fishing Convention could then be simultaneously organised. Accordingly, the boat builders of Trengganu, could learn the art of boat building of the Thai and Vietnam. Thus, there would be a great avenue for boat building flow of ideas. Definitely, the headmen of Sarawak natives could exchange ideas with their brothers from Kalimantan. The timber specialists would have a great avenue to learn the best idea of what and where the best timber species best for what type of boat building. Surely then our South China Sea will soon be flooded by the ASEAN traditional boats and sailors, and as such the sea could be the full ownership of the ASEAN. The ASEAN coastal cities would flourish, thus inter-ASEAN Tourism, Trade, and Education would spur into the best. We then could move higher into the Global Hierarchy in what ever field. As such, I would believe, the ASEAN should make their traditional regatta alive and work toward making it as the ASEAN Sea Game and Convention. I would believe, with such the masses of the ASEAN citizens could gain better socio-economic affect as compare to the modern Yacht Sport.
(10) In the tropical diversity of ASEAN, there is a factor of unity that we had been ignoring. Allah, loves His people, doesn't matter who they are, be they the submissive and or deviant. He the All Mighty Loving and Caring Allah, grants all what the people needs for them to be thankful. The South China Sea, must not keep ASEAN apart, but it is Allah's given factor to Unity. We must take the sea as our game of survival as our forefather hand passed. We must race to the tide, then we spin and fly high. InsyaAllah.
Note:
All insertion photos were sourced from the internet. Thanks to all the contributors.
Kuching, Sarawak
7 Feb., 2014
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